Adjustable combination stand for knitting machines



Nov. 2, 1943. W. A INGALLS 2,333,572

ADJUSTABLE COMBINATION STAND FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1942 24 Tied- 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1943- w. A. INGALLS 2,333,572

ADJUSTABLE COUBINATIQN STAND FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1942 3 Sheets- Shani Nov. 2, 1943. w. A. iNGALLS 2,333,572

ADJUSTABLE COMBINATION STAND FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 2, 1943 KNITTING-MACHINES Willis A. Ingalls, Syracuse, N; ,Ygia fssignor fto Tompkins Bros. 00., tion of New York Application March 25.41942 SerialNo. lee-i (cits-'79).

17 Claim;

This invention relates to improvements in knit-,

ting machines, and more especially to an improved adjustable stand assembly, for supporting thev various equipment such as burrs (sinker, clearing, backing, etc.), pressers and the like, which are commonly used in connection with circular spring needle knitting machines.

These knitting machines, as heretofore constructed, generally include a rotatable needle cylinder mounted upon a bed for rotation about a vertical axis. According to one well known type] of machine, there is attached to the bed of the machine, below the needle cylinder, a slotted Syracuse, N. I" a. corpora.-

the needle cylinder, and independently of each other and of the adjustment of the unitary assembly as a whole; A still further object of my invention is to provide a stand having one or more brackets adjustabiy attached thereto so as to allow adjusting movement of said brackets in one imaginary plane, and each of said brackets having another bracket 'adjustably attached thereto for adjusting movement in .another imaginary plane gen- ;erally perpendicular tothe, first plane, said last imentioned brackets each removably receiving and mounting ring which serves to support the usual stands and other equipment which are necessary for the feeding and manipulation of the thread,

pressing the needle beards, etc., as usually performed in the knitting of the fabric.

.behereinafter described,

supporting another stand, while permitting angular adjustment of said latter stand,

Other and further objects of the invention will and the novel features thereofdeflned by the appended claims.

For many years, it has been the practice with" such machines to employ a separate stand for practically each piece of equipment supported by the mounting ring, with the result that the equipj ment is-crowded together, making it exceedingly. difiicult to gain access to certain of the parts for.

purposes of adjustment as may be required from time to time. requires a greater length of time to set up, as well as to adjust the various individual parts for satisfactory performance of their respective functions and operations.- and the range of adjustment of the parts is at best very limited, and in some cases, nil.

With the foregoing in view, I have developed a new type of adjustable stand which facilitates and greatly simplifies the adjustment of-the usual equipment hereinbefore referred to, while at the same time being very compact so as to afford more room to permit the mounting of additional equipment about the needle cylinder when required, and affording convenient access to all of such equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel combination stand which embraces a plurality of stands or supports in a single unit;

capable of being attached to the usual slotted In addition, such an arrangement I mounting ring or other fixed support, by a single, 1 slotted link or equivalent connecting means pref erably permitting both circumferential and radial adjustment of the combination stand as a whole,

relative to the needle cylinder. v

My invention additionally contemplates as a further object, the provision of a unitary combi nation or multiple stand assembly, wherein certain of the individual stands, at least, are both laterally as well as'radially adjustable relative to for adjustablysupporting In-the drawings: t

Figure '1 is a, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through'th'e needle cylinder and slotted mounting ring. of atypical circularknitting ma- 1 chine, withcerta'iri other usual parts of the ma-' chine-omitted,1andshowing in side elevation my new adjustable; IQt'JlIlIbillatlOll stand assembly as contempla ed .by' my invention, and as employed a sinker tube in operative relation to the needle cylinder;

Figure 2 isafra-gmentary view in top plan, of the parts of Figure 1, with one of the stands omitted; v Figure 3 is a view in end elevation, showing a fragmentary portion of the slotted mounting ring, the slotted link being in section, and the combination stand having the assembled form to provide threeindi'vidual stands, with the sinker tube and needle. cylinder omitted:

' Figure 4 is a view in side or sinker tube stand per se; Figure. 5 isan endelevational view of one of the angular laterally adjustable slide brackets which is directly connected with the center stand of Figure 4:

Figure ii-is'a'viewof the'bracket of Figure 5, as projected-from Figure 7; I Figure 7-'is-a'-.sect ional view taken on the line l-Tof Figure 5;

Figure-81s a-view in end elevation of the outer radially adjustable slide bracket which is -connected tothe bracketof Figures 5 to 7;

Figure 9 is- 'a iview in side elevation of the bracket of Figure 8, hand side thereof;

Figure 10 is a view in end elevation of a modias viewed from the rightfied form of stand, generally corresponding to the stand of Figure 4', but beingsubstantially taller;

elevation of the center stand,

Figure 11 is a view in side elevation of the modified stand of Figure Figure 12 is a view in side elevation of the sinker tube assembly which is shown only in fragmentary form in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 13 is a view in side elevation of a modi fied form of presser stand assembly.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings wherein I generally denotes aconventional rotatable needle cylinder of a typical circular knitting machine, said needle cylinder having mounted thereon the usual ring of spring needles 2 which are attached thereto by the needle caps 3. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the needle cylinder is disposed for rotation about a vertical axis, and it will be understood that it lies above the usual bed of the machine (not shown).

Such machines, of which the illustration herein is general, are sometimes provided with a slotted mounting ring 4 which is attached to the bed of the machine at a point below the needle cylinder as best shown in Figure 1. This mounting ring serves to support the stands and various equipment which are mounted about the needle cylinder for coaction with the needles in the performance of the knitting operations.

According to my new stand construction to which this application is primarily directed, I

, attach the stands to the slotted mounting ring A,

in single or multiple units as the case requires, said attachment being effected in the conventional manner by means of a slotted link 5 extending radially outwardly from the mounting ring 4 and adjustably secured theretoby a bolt fastener ii extending through the slot 1 in the mounting ring 4 and the slot 8 in the link 5. By loosening the bolt 6, the slotted link 5 can be adjusted both circumferentially as well as radially, relative to the mounting ring 4 and needle cylinder, as will be obvious.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, my new stand assembly includes a main stand 9 which is adapted to rest upon the upper side of the slotted link 5, the lower end of the stand being preferably milled flat to seat upon the slotted link without rocking. Attachment of the stand 9 to the slotted link 5 is preferably accomplished by means of a bolt Ill passing through the slot 8 of the link 5, into the lower end of the stand which -is provided with a threaded aperture to threadedly receive the bolt I0. By loosening the bolt ill, the stand 9 may be adjusted longitudinally along the slotted link 5, that is, radially respecting the needle cylinder, independently of the radial adjustment afforded by adjusting the link 5 itself on the mounting ring 4 as previously described. In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, the stand 9 extends upwardly to a point in the zone of elevation of the needle cylinder above the bed of the, knitting machine, and the upper end of the stand is forked or bifurcated to provide a pair of laterally spaced vertical arms H, 7

ll. Each of the arms H, H is preferably provided on its inner face with a shoulder i2 extending vertically thereof, for cooperation with a guide l3 provided on the inner face of a depending bracket l4 forming a part of the piece of equipment which is to be mounted on the such as a sinker tube assembly l5. The guide I3 is of such width as to lie between the forked arms H, H of the stand 9, but affording sliding engagement therewith to permit vertical adjustment of the bracket i l relative to the stand 9. A bolt l6 extending through the bracket I4,

and having an enlarged head l1. spanning the space between the arms II, II of the stand 9, serves to clamp the bracket It to the stand in its vertically adjusted position, while allowing quick and easy adjustment of the elevation of the sinker tube 15 on loosening the clamping bolt.

The details of the sinker tube assembly are best shown in Figure 12 of the drawings, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise construction. It suffices to explain that the sinker tube assembly includes a spring-pressed bar or rod l8 projecting therefrom towards the needle cylinder, and onto the end of which is adapted to be secured a burr bracket l9 having a collar 20 at one end to receive the end of the rod [8. A set screws 2| serves to attach the burr bracket i9 to the rod l8. At the opposite end of the burr bracket,

there is provided a stud 22 on which is rotatably,

mounted a sinker burr designated 23 and shown in broken lines in Figure 1. This sinker burr may be of conventional construction, embodying aplurality of blades, one of which is shown in outline at 24 in Figure l. The blades 24 of the sinker burr mesh with the needles 2 on the needle cylinder I, causing the sinker burr to rotate on the stud 22, responsive to rotation of the needle cylinder in the conventional manner. This meshing relation can be conveniently adjusted by adjusting the position'of the stand 9 on the slotted link 5, and/or by adjusting the slotted link 5 relative to the mounting ring 4, in the manner hereinbefore described. Other burrs, such as clearing and backing burrs and the like, may be substituted for the sinker burr 23, or may be similarly mounted on other stands arranged at suitable positions about the needle cylinder for coaction with the needles in the proper sequence.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 9, it will be seen that the outer vertical face of the stand 9 is provided with a pair of vertically spaced tongues 25, 2B projecting outwardly from the surface thereof and extending transversely across the face of the stand near its lower end. At the center of each tongue, I provide the threaded openings 21, 28 to receive the respective bolts 2'9, 30. Coacting with the respective tongues 25, 2B are slide brackets 3|, 32 which are mounted on the stand 9 for horizontal sliding move ment. The brackets 3|, 32 are identical in construction, and one of the same, 32 for example, is shown in detail in Figures 5 to '7. As will be seen from these latter figures, the bracket 32 is angular in form, providing two arms 33 and 34 arranged perpendicular to each other. The arm 33 is slotted at 35 to receive the clamping bolt 30 therethrough and permit horizontal sliding adjustment of the bracket 32, the rear face of this arm being channeled at 36 to receive the tongue 26 on the stand 9, and by coaction therewith, to guide the bracket in its horizontal sliding adjustment. The outer face of the arm 34 is provided with an elongated protuberant guiding tongue 31, and is further provided with a plurality of threaded openings 38 at spaced points in the length thereof to receive a clamping bolt 39 by which a second bracket 40 is attached to the bracket 32 for horizontal sliding adjustment in a direction normal to the sliding adjustment of the bracket 32, the bolt 39 being selectively receivable in the apertures 36.

The details of the bracket or cross-slide 40 are shown in Figures 8 and 9, from which it will be observed that the cross-slide is provided with a channel 4| to receive the tongue 31 on the arm 34 of the bracket 32, this channel 4| and tongue 31 having a sliding fit with each other to guide the cross-slide in its adjusting movement relative to the bracket 32. The cross-slide is also slotted at 42 to receive the clamping bolt 39 therethrough, thereby allowing a limited sliding adjustment of the cross-slide for each position of the bolt 39 in the selective openings 38.

The cross-slide 4D is laterally ofiset at one end as indicated at 43, and this offset is provided with a vertical socket or opening 44, preferably cylindrical in cross section, to receive the lower end 45 of another short stand 46, the upper portion of which generally corresponds to the construction of the stand 9. The lower end 45 of the short stand 46 is preferably cylindrical in form to snugly fit into the {opening 44 in the cross-slide 40, and the cross-slide is preferably provided with a set screw'4l which, on tightening the same against the end 45 ofthe stand' 46',

serves to restrain'this stand against angular movement and against vertical displacement.

from the cross-slide, By loosening the set screw 41 the short stand 46 may be angularly adjusted in a manner which may be obvious. The short stand 46 may be utilized in the same manner as the stand 9, to support other burrs such as clearing and backing burrs, pressers, or other equipment which are usually employed in association with the sinker burr 23 hereinbefore described.

Again referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that a duplicate of the cross-slide 4|], designated 48,

end of the presser stand assembly of Figure 13, is reduced in'size-as at 54 and is preferably circular in cross section to permit the same to be received in the vertical opening in the cross-slides 40 or 48. The part 54 is preferably formed as an integral part of the presser tube and is elongated to allow for convenient vertical adjustment broken lines a and bin Figure 2.

While the specific details have been herein shownand described, the inventionis-not confined thereto, aschanges'and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

l. Ina knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a fixed support extending about the axis of said needle cylinder at a point below the cylinder, a stand adjustably carried by the fixed support for adjustment cireumferentially and radially relative to the needle cylinder, a bracket I slidably connected to said stand for adjustment laterally relative thereto, a second bracket slidably connected to said first bracket for adjusting is attached to the slide bracket 3|, by means'of a clamping bolt 49, and another short stand 56 is mounted in the cross-slide 48 and secured thereto by a set screw 5|, in th same manner described above. In this manner, as many as three stands may be combined into one combination stand unit, and attached to the slotted mounting ring 4 by a single slotted link 5. Where the conditions do not require the use of all three stands, one or both of the short stands 46, 50, together with their adjusting slides, may be removed, and the stand 9 used alone if desired. However, when used in multiple, the stands are conveniently located in compact parallel relation to each other, and are independently adjustable both laterally respecting one another, as well as radially respecting the needle cylinder, in addition to being adjustable as a unit, both radially and circumferentially respecting the needle cylinder, all of which contributes to the ease of assembly and adjustment of the knitting machine equipment, and to the high over-all efliciency of the knitting machine.

Referring to Figures 10 and 11, I have shown a modified form of stand 9' which may be substituted in lieu of stand 9 in Figures 1 to 4, stand 9 being substantially taller than stand 9 and permitting the attachment thereto of additional equipment besides the sinker tube I5, as is sometimes preferred. In other respects, stand 9' generally corresponds to'stand 9, and is provided with guide tongues 25' and 26' for coaction with brackets 3|, 32.

In Figure 13, I have shown a special form of presser stand which may be substituted in lieu of either of the short stands 46 or 58 hereinbefore referred to. This presser stand includes a spring-pressed bar or rod 52, carrying at its inner end a bracket 53 for receiving a presser (not shown) of conventional construction. The lower movement perpendicular to the adjusting movement. of the first bracket, and a second stand carried by said second bracket and disposed at one side of the first mentioned stand.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the .first stand and the brackets are respectively provided with'coacting guide means for guiding the brackets in their adjusting movements.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first stand and the brackets are respectively provided with coacting tongue and groove means for guiding the brackets in their adjusting movements.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first stand and the brackets are respectively provided with coacting guide means for guiding the brackets in their adjusting movements, and each of the brackets is slotted to receive a fastener 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1', wherein the second stand-is provided with a cylindrical part which is receivable in a corresponding opening provided in the second bracket, in combination with means for restraining said second, stand 7 against rotation in and displacement from said '7. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a slotted mounting ring disposed below said needle cylinder and extending about the axis thereof, a slotted link extending radially outwardly from said slotted mounting ring and adjustably connected thereto by a fastener means extending through the respective slots thereof, a stand carried by the slotted link aforesaid and adjustably connected thereto by another fastener means extending through the slot in said link, said stand extending upwardly from the slotted link in outwardly spaced relation to said needle cylinder and terminating near the plane of elevation of the needles on the needle cylinder, an additional stand carried by said first stand at one side thereof, and means interconnecting said stands for adjusting the second stand towards and away from the first stand and towards and away from the needle cylinder.

8. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a slotted mounting ring disposed below said needle cylinder and extending about the axis thereof, a slotted link extending radially outwardly from said slotted mounting ring and adjustably connected thereto by a fastener means extending through the respective slots thereof, a stand carried by the slotted link aforesaid and adjustably connected thereto by another fastener means extending through the slot in the link, said stand extending upwardly from the slotted link in outwardly spaced relation to said needle cylinder and terminating near the plane of elevation of the needle on the needle cylinder, a pair of additional stands carried by the first mentioned stand at opposite sides thereof, and means adjustably interconnecting said pair of additional stands with the first mentioned stand for adjusting each of said additional stands towards and away from the first stand and towards and away from the needle cylinder.

9. A stand assembly forknitting machines, comprising a vertically elongated first stand having a fiat base, a bracket adjustably connected to the first stand for adjustable sliding movement laterally thereof, another bracket adjustably connected to the first mentioned bracket for adjustable sliding movement normal to the adjustable sliding movement of the first mentioned bracket, and a second stand carried by the second amentioned bracket and extending vertically upwardly therefrom in laterally spaced relation to said first stand.

10. A stand assembly for knitting machines comprising a vertically elongated first stand having a fiat base, a plurality of brackets adjustably connected to the first stand for adjustable sliding movement laterally thereof, another bracket adjustably connected to each of the first mentioned plurality of brackets for adjustable sliding movement normal to the adjustable sliding movement of the first metnioned brackets, and a stand carried by each of the second mentioned brackets and extending vertically upwardly therefrom in laterally spaced relation to s'aid first stand.

11. Apparatus as defined in clai 9, wherein the first mentioned bracket is angu ar in form, providing a pair of arms disposed substantially perpendicular to each other, one of said arms being slotted to receive a fastener having threaded engagement with the first stand, and the second bracket being also slotted to receive a fastener having threaded engagement with the other arm of the first mentioned bracket.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first stand and the first mentioned bracket are respectively provided with coacting guidemeans for guiding the first mentioned bracket in its adjustable lateral sliding movement, and said first and second mentioned brackets are also respectively provided with additional coacting guide means for guiding the second mentioned bracket in its adjustable sliding movement relative to the first mentioned bracket.

13. A stand assembly for knitting machines, comprising an upwardly elongated stand member, a slide mounted thereon for horizontal adjusting movement, releasable means coacting with said slide for restraining the slide against movement after adjustment of the same, a crossslide mounted on the first mentioned slide for horizontal adjusting movement in a direction crosswise to the adjusting movement of the first mentioned slide, and another stand carried by said cross-slide and disposed in generally parallel spaced relation to the first mentioned stand at one side thereof.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said stands are forked at their upper ends for supporting coaction with the usual equipment to be mounted thereon in operative relation to the needles of the knitting machine.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein a third stand is disposed at the opposite side of the first stand and is connected to the latter by a separate slide and cross-slide generally corresponding to the first mentioned slides.

16. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a support extending about the axis of said needle cylinder at a point below the cylinder, a plurality of stands adjustably mounted upon said support and adjustable as a unit both radially and circumferentially relative to the needle cylinder, and slide means interconnecting said stands for adjustment of certain of said stands laterally relative to each other and radially relative to the needle cylinder independently of the unitary adjustment aforesaid.

1'7. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a support extending about the axis of said needle cylinder at a point below the cylinder, a plurality of stands adjustably mounted upon said support and adjustable as a unit both radially and circumferentially relative to the needle cylinder, slide means interconnecting said stands for adjustment of certain of said stands laterally relative to each other and radially relative to the needle cylinder independently of the unitary adjustment aforesaid, and means for angularly adjusting certain of said stands independently relative to each other.

WILLIS A. INGALLS. 

